Knicks Make History at the Garden, Snap Skid in Record-Breaking Rout of Nets
After a rough two-week stretch that saw them drop nine of eleven-including four straight-the Knicks needed a spark. What they delivered instead was a full-blown firestorm. Facing a struggling Brooklyn squad at Madison Square Garden, New York didn’t just right the ship-they torched it and built a new one, cruising to a 120-66 win in front of a raucous home crowd.
That 54-point margin? The largest in franchise history.
This wasn’t just a win. It was a statement.
From the opening tip, the Knicks came out with an edge we haven’t seen in weeks. The energy, the pace, the defensive intensity-it was all there.
Karl-Anthony Towns set the tone early, attacking Brooklyn’s frontcourt with purpose. Of New York’s first 18 points, eight came inside and five came at the line.
They weren’t settling-they were hunting.
Meanwhile, the defense locked in. The Nets were held to just six points midway through the first quarter, as the Knicks rattled off 14 unanswered.
Jalen Brunson played maestro, dropping 11 points in the opening frame and setting the rhythm for the rest of the night. The bench followed his lead.
Mitchell Robinson, back in the rotation, made his presence felt immediately-four rebounds, a block, a steal, and three points in just five minutes. Landry Shamet came in firing, hitting both of his threes and contributing on both ends.
By the time the first 12 minutes were in the books, the Knicks were shooting 67% from the field, had doubled up Brooklyn on the glass (14-5), and dished out nine assists. The Nets, meanwhile, were stuck hoisting contested threes and missing two-thirds of them.
New York led 38-20 after one. And they were just getting started.
In the second quarter, the Knicks kept their foot on the gas. The lead ballooned to 27, and Brooklyn never got closer than 15 the rest of the way.
New York’s defense was suffocating-forcing seven turnovers in the half and turning them into easy buckets. Michael Porter Jr. tried to spark the Nets with a three, a layup, and a trip to the line, but that was about the extent of Brooklyn’s offense in the quarter.
They managed just 18 points in the frame.
Robinson returned for another six minutes of havoc, and Mikal Bridges made his impact felt on both ends. By halftime, the Knicks were up 59-38 and had just put together their best defensive half of the season.
The numbers told the story. New York shot 55% from the field, 50% from three, and dominated the boards 28-16.
They outscored Brooklyn in the paint (22-14) and in transition (14-4), and simply looked like the more connected, more committed team. Brunson led all scorers with 12 at the break, while Porter Jr. had nine for Brooklyn.
And if anyone thought the Knicks might ease up after halftime, they were quickly proven wrong.
New York opened the third quarter with a 10-6 run and hit the 70-point mark in a flash. Midway through the third, the lead was at 30.
A few minutes later, it was 37. Even when Brooklyn strung together a mini-run-Ziaire Williams scored five straight-the Knicks never lost control.
They entered the fourth with an 88-56 lead and plenty of momentum still in the tank.
Then came the knockout punch.
A 16-0 run to open the fourth quarter stretched the lead to 48-yes, 48-and officially etched this game into the Knicks’ record books. Shamet, in particular, was lights-out, finishing a perfect 6-for-6 from deep.
Brooklyn, meanwhile, couldn’t buy a bucket. They missed their first eight shots of the quarter and looked ready for the final buzzer with seven minutes still to play.
The Nets managed just 10 points in the final frame, and most came in garbage time. Tyrese Martin hit a deep three, Day’Ron Sharpe knocked down a pair of free throws, Terrence Mann added a layup, and Danny Wolf hit a longball.
That was it. New York won the fourth 32-10, putting an emphatic exclamation point on a night to remember.
Brunson led the way with 20 points and five assists, but this was a total team effort. Towns was efficient and physical, posting 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting with eight boards in just 18 minutes.
Josh Hart delivered one of his most complete games of the season-11 points on a perfect 5-for-5 from the field, plus nine rebounds and his usual defensive grit. Bridges added 11 points and four assists, while OG Anunoby didn’t need to score much to make his mark-he finished a +28 on the night.
The bench was just as impactful. Miles McBride exploded for 14 points and four assists, finishing with a team-best +34.
Shamet’s 18 points on 6-of-7 shooting (all from deep) gave the Knicks a huge lift. Mitchell Robinson owned the paint with seven points, seven rebounds, and two blocks.
Even Mohamed Diawara got in on the action with some solid minutes.
And for those tracking Karl-Anthony Towns’ recent foul trouble-he’d picked up five fouls in each of his last four games-that streak is over. He played clean, aggressive basketball and helped anchor the Knicks on both ends.
Most importantly, the Knicks snapped their losing streak and avoided what could’ve been a full-blown crisis. With a trip to Philadelphia up next, this was the kind of win that can reset a season.
The Knicks didn’t just beat the Nets. They dominated them. And in doing so, they reminded everyone-especially themselves-of what they’re capable of when they play connected, aggressive basketball.
Now the challenge is simple: build on it.